


m'lady, paint my spirit in red and i'll do yours in blue

by CobraOnTheCob



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Vigilante AU, semi-modern au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29639031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobraOnTheCob/pseuds/CobraOnTheCob
Summary: The Blue Spirit's in a bit of a pinch.He's lucky to have the Painted Lady having his back.
Relationships: Blue Spirit/Painted Lady, Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	m'lady, paint my spirit in red and i'll do yours in blue

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be the Shattered prompt, but it got too long, so I popped out the Shatter Knee fic for it instead. I decided to come back and finish the first chapter of this.
> 
> Context - The Network is a shadow organization that organizes vigilantes in each city. it's like a Justice League but more shadowy lol

Stupid nightingale floors.

Zuko was spying on this criminal family and when he made his exit, he had to have stepped on the spot that would tip off the family that an intruder was there.

Now he was fighting off the guards, desperately trying not to get captured. 

Unfortunately, any escape routes he tried to make were cut off by the guards, and he’s forced back to the largest room of the house. 

He barely registers the glass sliding door he’s backed up into until someone kicks him hard enough to send him flying into it.

_CRASH!_

Zuko gasps from first getting kicked in the chest, and then from hitting the glass with his back and head. He bounces slightly on the floor, feeling the glass cut into him. 

Struggling to get up, he knows the guards are leaping through the shattered door and approaching him - 

_Thwack._

He had gotten up, kicking glass shards away from him as he staggered back, trying to get away from the guard leaping through the hole in the glass door when a water whip wraps around the attacking guard’s wrist and pulls the guard back into another. Zuko shakes his head, trying to ignore the pain as he sees his rescuer - 

Not just any rescuer.

Her hat and white featureless mask with the iconic painted markings was unmistakable. 

The Painted Lady.

Her water whips ensnare the guards and throw them to the side long enough for her to motion to him to follow her out. Limping ( _ow, ow ow_ ) out and following her as she easily made her way out (yes, he was very impressed to see the knocked-out guards, he was in too much pain to verbalize it right now) and when he stumbled and nearly collapsed, she just scooped him up and ran. 

Had Zuko not been bleeding out, he might’ve combusted from being even within her presence. Instead, he let himself be detached from his pain as the Painted Lady runs. 

She’s probably run a mile as the crow flies before she finally stopped and set him down, rolling him onto his stomach as she got her healing water out. Neither of them spoke as she closed the wounds in his back, and the silence was broken when she finished healing him and stepped back.

“Any intel?” the Painted Lady asked, and Zuko nodded.

“I have them,” he said, “Thank you, Painted Lady.”

“Just get back to HQ,” she said, “And let them know what happened.”

“What, that I can’t do solo missions anymore?” Zuko asked, almost angry. The Painted Lady tilted her head slightly.

“You were close to being captured and you’re lucky I decided to shadow this one,” the Painted Lady said, “I know you’re one of the best, but this family has one of the best security teams in the world, so I decided to drop in just in case you needed an escape.”

“Oh,” Zuko said, no longer feeling defensive, “Thank you, Painted Lady,” he said with a bow.

“It’s no problem,” she said, “And to be honest, I hope we’ll be able to work together in the future. See you later, if that happens!” With that, the Painted Lady left him, and Zuko smiled under his mask. 

_He was saved by the Painted Lady._

He needs to get off the roof before he faints.

* * *

He wakes up the next day to a call from the Network. Groggily, he picks up the phone and answers.

“Hello?” he asks.

“Your new partner will meet you when the moon is highest and where the land is lowest,” the person on the other end says.

“I understand,” Zuko replies, “Anything else?”

“Get along well,” is all the person says before ending the call. 

_Get along, eh?_

He’s looking forward to it.

* * *

He arrives at the lowest point in the river, just a few minutes before the moon is at the apex. He stands there, and wonders where his new partner could be when he hears something small being thrown through the air. Whirling around with his swords out, he sees the Painted Lady standing there. 

“Hi,” he says shyly, and fights the urge to drop down to his knees to bow before the legend before him.

“Hi,” she says, “So. The Network assigned for us to work together.”

“Yeah,” Zuko says, “Um...I’m lucky to be partnered to you?” The Painted Lady giggles at that.

“I can see that we’re going to get along swimmingly,” she says, and he feels like he can relax.

“Yeah, I think we will,” he says, “So, uh...what’s our first move?”


End file.
